Many college students struggle to find time to exercise during the semester. BYUMove is a student-led group exercise program that motivates students to be active while in a social environment.
Students participate by signing up for classes on the BYUMove website. Each class meets consistently and features a variety of workouts throughout the semester led by students in the BYU Department of Exercise Sciences.
"What we know in this department is that exercise is good for you," Professor Mandy Christensen said. "We try to tailor the exercise routines that they're doing to what their interests are and what their abilities are."
BYUMove was started in the summer of 2024.
"It is something people can come to, and it's not intimidating," Destiny Romero, a group mentor, said. "It can be very much tailored with a set structure so it's not all over the place."
In addition to the exercise aspect of BYUMove, the social aspect is one of its biggest draws.
“We always start with a 'yes' moment,” Romero said. “You do a power pose in the shape of a Y and share something good from your day or week.”
After the “yes” moment and the workout, sessions end with a teaching moment. Many students say it is their favorite part, as mentors connect an exercise principle with both science and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"When you think about intrinsic motivation, being motivated within yourself to do something, the best way to be intrinsically motivated is to connect that behavior with something that is deeply meaningful to you," Christensen said. "Taking exercise, that is a behavior, and connecting it with the gospel."
As the program has grown, BYUMove has also expanded its campus partnerships. This semester, the group worked with the BYU Office of Belonging to host a wellness clinic.
Professor Allen Parcell shared a presentation at the clinic on what an exercise session looks like and how it affects mental, physical and spiritual health.
At that event, JoDeen Brown, a master's student in exercise sciences and BYUMove program director, was able to do a "yes" moment with the group. "It connected how exercising can make you feel like you belong," Brown said.
Working with Christensen, Brown has played a large role in developing BYUMove into what it is today.
This opportunity highlights the role BYUMove plays on campus as it spreads awareness about the importance of exercise.
"Our bodies are sacred and we're not alive if we don't have a physical body," Christensen said. "We spend a lot of time on our spirituality and improving our spiritual health. We need to do the same for our physical health."
The sessions for the BYU Fall 2026 semester are in groups of five and meet together twice a week from Sept. 14 through Dec. 10
BYUMove is currently accepting new participants. To sign up or for more information, visit the BYUMove website or Instagram page, @byumove.
